A judge at the U.S. Labor Department this month refused to sign off on a settlement between Wells Fargo & Co. and a whistleblower, calling the scope of would-be protection for bank officials and affiliates too broad.

The administrative law judge, Steven Berlin, told the lawyers in the whistleblower retaliation case to more narrowly tailor the settlement language. Berlin said the proposed resolution “essentially releases certain persons and entities from all claims existing at any time” up to the settlement date.